Can-washing machine



June 11; 1929. WOLF 1,716,406

CAN WASHING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1927.

Lil

Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED FRANK F. WOLF, OF CATTARAUGUS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OAKES & BURGER 00.,

OF CATTARAUGUS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION O F NEW YORK.

CAN-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed March 19, 1927. Serial No. 176,706.

This invention relates to machines for washing ice-cream cans,milk cans and the like, and their lids or covers, and has for its object to provide a circular series of gripe ping devices for firmly holding the cans or lids in Washing position, -combined with means for automatically releasin them as they successively arrive at the statlon Where a cleansed can or lid is to be removed by the attendant and an uncleansed can or lid is to be substituted for the can or lid just remove-d, such substitute can or lid being automatically gripped and held in washing position as soon as it passes the removing and replacing or inserting station. The invention is more'particularly intended for use in connection with a rotary can washing machine in which the cans or lids travel in a circle for the washing operation, so that they will be thoroughly cleansed as they move around from and to the inserting station.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan View of a can washing machine embodying the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of one of the gripping devices. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of the cam track by means of which the gripping devices are released.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes a circular supporting frame or ring and which is connected in any suitable manner with a shaft 18, or which may rotate about said shaft, and suitably mounted inside of said frame or ring 12 is a stationary cam ring 14 having an extended raised or operating portion 14.

Fixed to the support or ring 12 are brackets 15 each of which comprises twooutwardly extending arms 15 between which is mounted, on a pivot pin 16, a gripping dog consisting of a jaw 17 and a weighted arm 18. The weighted arm 18 has an inwardly extending part 18 overhanging the cam ring 14 which limits the downward movement of said weighted part when the machine is empty, but which, when a can is in position, in co-operation with the extended raised portion 14 of the said cam ring 14, will cause said arm to be automatically lifted to release the gripping jaw 17 which co-operates with an upwardly extending portion 15 of the said bracket for the gripping operation.

The machine herein partly shown comprises a sheet metal jacket 19 suitably spaced apart from the ring or support 12 to afi'ord room between these parts for the largest sized cans or lids which are to be cleansed, and the space between the said casing and said ring or frame 12 is preferably divided into compartments by radial sheet metal partitions 20 which may be removably supported either from the said ring or support, or otherwise.

In the operation of the invention the cans or lids C to be cleansed are placed by the attendant in an inclined inverted position, or with their open topsor parts down, on the supporting brackets 15 at what may be termed the inserting and replacing station A-, at which point the casing 19 has a suitable opening to enable the cans or lids to be inserted and removed. The extended cam portion 14 of the stationary ring 14 is opposite the said filling station A, so that the jaw 17 of each gripping device is released from the inverted can or lid the lower edge of which is between the part 15" of the bracket and the said jaw, at the station A. These cans are usually provided near their open ends or tops with beads B, and to accommodate these beads the part 15 of each bracket 15 is preferably provided with a recess 15.

It will be understood that, in the operation of the invention, as the cans or lids are caused to travel in a circle, the center of which is the shaft 13, in the direction indicated by the arrows, in Fig. 1, a can or lid which has been placed in position in the open gripping de- Vice at the inserting and removing station A,

will be gripped by the jaw 17 in -co-opera-' tion with the part 15 of the bracket 15 as soon as the weighted arm 18 has passed by the cam portion 14 of the cam ring, and will be held thus gripped as it travels in a circle until it again arrives at the inserting and removing station A when the gripping 9 arm will be automatically released and held open or released so that the cleansed can or lid may be removed and another one insorted in its place.

The general construction of the can washing machine and the means by which the jets of water are caused to perform the cleansing operation in the inverted cans or lids are not herein shown, as they form no part of the present invention which relates more particularly to the means for gripping and releasing cans or lids as they perform their circular travel in the can washing machine.

v Owing to the fact that the inverted cans or lids are gripped at their inner edges it will be understood that the gripping device herein shown is adapted to hold cans or lids of different sizes, from large cans or lids which will occupyimost of the space between the travelling sup ortin ring 12 and the casing 19 to cans or ids OI a d1ameter very much less than this space. Thus the invention is adapted for use withthe comparatively small 'cans generally used as ice cream cans, as well as with much larger cans.

While the automatically. released gripping device hereinbefore described is prlmarily. intended for use in a rotary can washing machine, it will be understood that it might be used in other forms of can washing machines if desired.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to receive by Letters Patent: 1. In a rotary can or lid Washing machine, the combination with a circular rotary support, of a series of brackets attached to said cular rotary support, a series of brackets adapted to support the cans or lids, to be cleansed in inverted position and each having a fixed part, a gripplng jaw mounted on each of said brackets ada ted to co-operate with the said fixed parts 0 said brackets, said jaws each having a weighted portion for forcing them into gripping positions and a stationary ring having a cam portion for releasing said gripping jaws at proper times.

3. In a rotary can or lid washing machine,

a circular series of gripping devices for holding the cans or lids'to be cleansed, each of said gripping devices comprising a bracket adapted to support a can or lid in inverted position and having a fixedfpa'rt, a gripping jaw adapted to co-operate with the said fixed part and having a weighted portion for forcing the said jaw into gripping position, combined with a ring having a cam portion for automatically releasing said jaws, one at a time, from the cans or lids at a proper point in their circular travel, said cam portion serving to hold each gripping device open long enough for the insertion of cans or lids at a removing and replacing station.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK F. WOLF. 

